Karthus - League of Legends Champion
Win Rate
49.3%
Pick Rate
1.3%

Karthusvs Zac

DMage
Patch26.7
Matches949,984
LaneAll Lanes
TierAll Tiers
Last UpdatedApr 20, 2026
MethodologyData Methodology

Karthus vs Zac is a decisive matchup in LoL patch 26.7. Karthus wins with a 66.7% win rate (+33.3%) over Zac based on 9 games. Karthus holds the advantage in both the early and late game. Below you'll find the best Karthus build, runes, laning stats, and strategies for the Karthus vs Zac matchup.

Karthus Matchup Breakdown

Use the dropdown to select an opponent and see a detailed breakdown of how Karthus performs against them. You'll get head-to-head win rates, laning stats, the best build and runes for the matchup, and early vs late game analysis — all based on real ranked data.

Compare against an opponent
Zac - 66.7% win rateZac(66.7%)
Karthus - 66.7% win rate in this matchup
Karthus
66.7% WR
VS
Zac vs Karthus matchup - 33.3% win rate
Zac
33.3% WR

Who Wins the Karthus vs Zac Matchup?

Karthus wins the Karthus vs Zac matchup
Winner
Karthus
Matches: 9
66.7%
Win Rate
33.3%
1.8
CS / min
1.4
1,227
DMG / min
681
14,337
Gold / game
12,074
307
Heal / min
1,823
483
DMG Mitigated / min
1,640
0.7
CC / min
1.5
80.0%
Early Game WR
20.0%
50.0%
Late Game WR
50.0%

Karthus vs Zac Matchup Summary

The Karthus vs Zac matchup is a decisive matchup in League of Legends ranked play. Based on 9 recent matches analyzed, Karthus wins with a 66.7% win rate compared to Zac's 33.3%, giving Karthus a 33.3 percentage point advantage. Karthus dominates at every stage — from early laning through late game team fights. This consistent advantage makes it difficult for Zac players to find favorable windows, so team-dependent strategies and avoiding solo confrontations are essential. The most significant statistical gap is in sustain, where Zac leads by 2,674 HP/min — a difference that heavily influences the outcome of trades and skirmishes. Karthus players can confidently pick into Zac and play aggressively from level 1. Look to establish lane dominance early through favorable trades and zone Zac away from CS whenever possible. Understanding these matchup dynamics is essential for champion select decisions and in-game strategy when facing this lane opponent.

Karthus vs Zac Laning Phase Breakdown

Karthus wins the laning phase against Zac in League of Legends

Karthus is favored during the laning phase against Zac, winning 3 out of 5 key stat categories. Karthus holds advantages in farming, damage and gold income, making them the stronger laner in this matchup.

Farming
1.8Karthus
1.4Zac
Karthus edges out Zac by 0.4 CS per minute — a moderate farming advantage that adds up to roughly 7 CS over a 15-minute laning phase. This translates to earlier component purchases and slightly faster power spikes for Karthus.
Damage
1,227Karthus
681Zac
Karthus heavily out-damages Zac by 546 DMG/min, dominating both short trades and all-in fights. Zac should avoid extended combat and instead focus on burst trade patterns — short engages followed by immediate disengagement — to avoid letting Karthus's sustained damage advantage take over.
Economy
14,337Karthus
12,074Zac
Karthus generates a commanding 2,263 more gold per game than Zac. This substantial economic advantage means Karthus consistently reaches key item breakpoints earlier, creating a compounding lead that grows throughout the game. Zac should focus on cost-effective item choices and avoid unnecessary deaths to prevent falling further behind.
Utility
0.7Karthus
1.5Zac
Zac brings significantly more crowd control than Karthus, with 0.9 more seconds of CC per minute. This large utility gap makes Zac far more valuable in setting up jungle ganks, controlling objectives, and locking down targets in team fights. Karthus should invest in tenacity and position carefully to avoid being chain-CC'd.
Sustain
789Karthus
3,463Zac
Zac vastly out-sustains Karthus, healing and mitigating 2,674 more damage per minute. This massive durability gap means Zac can absorb significant punishment and remain in lane while Karthus is forced to recall. Building grievous wounds early is essential for Karthus, and focusing on burst trade patterns rather than sustained fights is critical.

Best Karthus Build Against Zac

Sorcerer's Shoes is the optimal boots choice against Zac, providing the mobility and stats Karthus needs most in this matchup. The top-performing core items for Karthus against Zac are Liandry's Torment, Shadowflame and Zhonya's Hourglass. This combination gives Karthus an effective balance of damage, survivability, and utility for the matchup. Adjustments may be needed based on team compositions and game state, but this build provides the strongest foundation for the Karthus vs Zac matchup.

Early Game vs Late Game

Early Game
Karthus
80.0%
+60.0% advantage
Karthus early game win rateKarthus80.0%
Zac early game win rateZac20.0%
Late Game
Karthus
50.0%
+0.0% advantage
Karthus late game win rateKarthus50.0%
Zac late game win rateZac50.0%

Karthus dominates the early game (first 15 minutes) with a commanding 80.0% win rate — a 60.0 percentage point lead over Zac. This lopsided early game means Karthus can dictate the pace of the lane from level 1, controlling trades, wave state, and river priority.

Late game (25+ minutes) is equally balanced, with Karthus at 50.0% win rate — only 0.0 points ahead of Zac. Team fight execution and macro play determine the winner at this stage, not champion matchup advantage.

Karthus holds the advantage at every stage of the game, making this a consistently favorable matchup from lane through late game team fights. Zac players should look for outplays, team-dependent strategies, and picks rather than relying on scaling to win this matchup.

Best Karthus Runes Against Zac

Domination rune tree - Karthus primary runes vs ZacDomination
Dark Harvest - best Karthus rune vs ZacCheap Shot - best Karthus rune vs ZacSixth Sense - best Karthus rune vs ZacTreasure Hunter - best Karthus rune vs Zac
Precision rune tree - Karthus secondary runes vs ZacPrecision
Last Stand - best Karthus rune vs ZacTriumph - best Karthus rune vs Zac
100.0% WR

Running Domination primary with Precision secondary allows Karthus to press their advantage against Zac, amplifying the strengths that make this a favorable matchup.


Karthus matchup data for League of Legends patch 26.7. The table below shows Karthus's win rate, gold difference, and performance stats against every champion in the current meta. Click any champion name to see a detailed head-to-head breakdown including the best Karthus build, runes, laning stats, and early vs late game analysis for that specific matchup.

Karthus matchup win rates and stats in League of Legends patch 26.7
Opponent
Win Rate
Matches
CS/min
DMG/min
Gold/game
Early WR
Late WR
48.78%411.51,24613,63464.7%37.5%
45.00%401.71,19914,67650.0%41.7%
37.84%371.81,20313,45342.9%34.8%
59.46%376.81,20414,13361.1%57.9%
58.33%361.41,18514,86346.1%65.2%
42.86%351.61,14713,92340.0%45.0%
44.12%341.41,12214,48658.3%36.4%
65.63%326.31,26613,64771.4%61.1%
50.00%281.61,25415,99971.4%42.9%
44.44%276.11,21913,94641.7%46.7%
59.26%276.01,24814,69160.0%58.8%
60.00%251.51,20814,13545.5%71.4%
63.64%222.01,41215,52085.7%53.3%
63.64%226.01,33115,66162.5%64.3%
57.89%191.21,11113,72737.5%72.7%
36.84%196.51,28014,54516.7%46.1%
42.11%191.51,29515,86340.0%42.9%
57.89%191.41,15014,33071.4%50.0%
47.06%176.41,29415,52850.0%46.1%
76.47%171.21,06613,39466.7%87.5%
47.06%171.81,19814,51350.0%46.1%
75.00%161.41,29814,71466.7%80.0%
56.25%161.51,14013,02250.0%62.5%
26.67%151.31,03412,14627.3%25.0%
33.33%152.11,14213,21320.0%40.0%
35.71%141.11,12013,85225.0%50.0%
38.46%131.21,08313,38916.7%57.1%
38.46%131.41,18614,42740.0%37.5%
23.08%132.21,01010,85522.2%25.0%
46.15%136.01,24613,80450.0%44.4%
53.85%137.11,16413,19242.9%66.7%
50.00%123.71,31914,92180.0%28.6%
50.00%121.21,22814,55325.0%62.5%
25.00%126.51,36414,04133.3%16.7%
83.33%121.41,23815,11766.7%88.9%
25.00%121.61,12615,19325.0%25.0%
66.67%127.31,53918,810100.0%60.0%
25.00%121.21,07613,8870.0%60.0%
50.00%121.31,03811,95450.0%50.0%
63.64%116.81,40515,26060.0%66.7%
63.64%112.91,09213,99266.7%62.5%
27.27%111.31,12512,25020.0%33.3%
18.18%111.51,18312,73025.0%14.3%
45.45%116.71,23014,91440.0%50.0%
70.00%105.91,26912,68760.0%80.0%
60.00%107.01,16813,68960.0%60.0%
60.00%101.41,38813,38660.0%60.0%
70.00%107.11,33314,53075.0%66.7%
33.33%97.31,21213,57820.0%50.0%
44.44%93.899013,717100.0%28.6%
22.22%96.81,08812,89120.0%25.0%
66.67%91.61,56915,98675.0%60.0%
66.67%91.81,22714,33780.0%50.0%
33.33%94.81,07213,64425.0%40.0%
50.00%86.71,22114,59460.0%33.3%
37.50%81.81,33816,668100.0%28.6%
42.86%72.11,10612,56733.3%50.0%
42.86%72.21,17211,38060.0%0.0%
42.86%72.01,37413,47750.0%33.3%
42.86%77.21,12512,97033.3%50.0%
71.43%75.71,05413,5520.0%100.0%
71.43%71.21,49615,8850.0%83.3%
14.29%72.91,23213,7160.0%33.3%
57.14%72.01,19112,95466.7%50.0%
42.86%72.11,19315,03550.0%40.0%
85.71%71.61,34617,646100.0%80.0%
57.14%72.81,23515,411100.0%40.0%
50.00%66.91,27912,34425.0%100.0%
66.67%61.31,38414,20166.7%66.7%
66.67%61.396311,486100.0%50.0%
33.33%65.41,55214,5320.0%33.3%
33.33%62.481311,29650.0%0.0%
66.67%64.01,15114,6630.0%80.0%
16.67%61.41,19215,1100.0%20.0%
50.00%61.61,26817,2400.0%60.0%
60.00%55.91,19113,24966.7%50.0%
40.00%51.61,10312,8790.0%66.7%
40.00%56.81,00311,9160.0%50.0%
60.00%55.11,47719,353100.0%50.0%
20.00%52.81,10312,98150.0%0.0%
60.00%53.17289,38375.0%0.0%
60.00%57.11,03414,8450.0%75.0%
20.00%58.21,15513,53650.0%0.0%
60.00%52.382213,48466.7%50.0%

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Karthus vs Zac - Frequently Asked Questions

How does Karthus do against Zac in League of Legends?

Karthus wins the Karthus vs Zac matchup with a 66.7% win rate compared to Zac's 33.3%, a 33.3 percentage point difference. This data is based on 9 recent ranked games in patch 26.7.

How does Karthus do against Zac in the early game?

In the early game, Karthus has the advantage against Zac with a 80.0% win rate versus 20.0%. Karthus players should look to press their lane advantage through aggressive trades and wave control during the first 15 minutes.

How does Karthus do against Zac in the late game?

In the late game, Karthus takes over the Karthus vs Zac matchup with a 50.0% win rate compared to 50.0%. Karthus scales better into team fights and objective contests after 25 minutes.

Who wins the Karthus vs Zac matchup?

Karthus wins the matchup against Zac with a 66.7% win rate in League of Legends patch 26.7. The 33.3 percentage point advantage means Karthus is significantly favored in this lane matchup based on 9 games analyzed.

What is the best Karthus build against Zac?

The best Karthus build against Zac includes Liandry's Torment, Shadowflame, Zhonya's Hourglass with Sorcerer's Shoes. Check the matchup breakdown above for the full item path and build order.

What are the best Karthus runes against Zac?

The best Karthus runes against Zac use the Domination primary tree with Precision secondary. This rune setup achieves a 100.0% win rate in the Karthus vs Zac matchup. See the full rune breakdown in the matchup comparison above.

Does Karthus counter Zac?

Yes, Karthus has a favorable matchup against Zac with a 66.7% win rate. Karthus strongly counters Zac in lane based on current patch 26.7 data.

How do I play Karthus against Zac?

When playing Karthus against Zac, leverage your statistical advantages by trading aggressively during favorable windows. You have early game priority — look for kills and zone control before first recall. Build the recommended items and runes for this specific matchup for the best results.